Rough Waters
by UsInOurShadows
Summary: Marina was relatively new to the archeological world, and thanks to an old family friend, she will be a well known and respected archeologist. Although what happens in the newly discovered pyramid sends her life turning in a whole new direction.


"Okay, pace yourself, breathe." Marina inhaled slowly, held her breath, then counted to five before exhaling. Crouching, she traveled down the corridor, meticulously eyeing her surroundings. She was quiet, calm, and stealthy. Compared to her occupation as an archeologist, the stance she took as she went down the corridor gave her a certain edge usually found in people who hunt.

She loved research and knowledge, but had also spent many years hunting game just as well with her parents. Ranging from deers to bears and the like. The other part of her day had been taking self-defense classes, due to the accident when she was six.

Cautiously, she turned the corner surveying the new hall. She was gripping her gun, ready for any encounter. It had been hours since she had accidently separated herself from Lex. She panicked then, crying, and thrashing about in anger until her logical voice resurfaced within her mind. If she was going to ever get out of this hell she needed to remain collected and patient.

She was frightened, but she knew better than to let that feeling overwhelm her in a time of need. _Collect yourself, stay calm, move forward_.

She took in another breath, exhaled, and kept moving. Her eyes widened as she saw a shadow stretch in front of her and she held out her gun. The shadow hit the corner of the wall leaving her still and skeptic. Then she had realized it was not a shadow, but one of the ebony serpents. It screeched as it regained itself and retaliated to whomever the offender was, although she had an inference of who it was. She wanted to flee but she was stilled by the approaching figures battling in front of her.

The serpent was quite large in size compared to her yes, but the hunter was so large, he would have put body builders to shame.

_What the hell are you?_

The hunter was using a shuriken like weapon to slice at his prey, failing he roared in frustration tossing it aside.

_Wait... Was it melting?_

Indeed, the weapon was disfigured, melting on the floor. She then presumed that the blood of such a creature was definitely acidic. She prayed their was no need for close combat, she didn't have enough bullets, just her luck, to fight a group of these guys.

Her thoughts were broken when the serpent had thrown the hunter across the hall they had came from. The serpent had turned and sprinted its way toward her. Her gut churned as she gasped and pivoted around to run away. She twisted back and aimed her gun pulling the trigger. Once, twice, eight times. She didn't know how many bullets were left and she was not going to stop and check. She threw the gun at it, but much luck that did when the serpent effectively dodged it. Breathe. Collect yourself, stay calm, and move forward.

Plan. Maybe there was a way she could use its body against itself?

She listed all the characteristics of the serpent. An armored skeletal body, elongated head, strange things protruding out its back, clawed hands and feet, a segmented tail with a blade at the edge...

EUREKA!

Fighting off the serpent was going to be difficult, this she knew and she was proven right when it tackled her from the back and held her in place.

She had become quickly accustomed to the idea that she could die at any second, but this did not stop her from panicking. She closed her eyes, for she knew she was not strong enough to pull out from under the creature.

A boisterous roar threatened her ears to bleed and the pressure of the serpents hands had disappeared.

Did... Did the hunter just save her?

No, fat chance something like that would happen.

He was obviously upset his prey had turned his attention to her.

She sat up and Continued watching the battle. She should be running away from them... Yet her legs felt tied down as if she was still processing what was happening before her.

She rose to a crouch and winced when she felt a sharp blade cut into her hand. It was a smile knife with intricately detailed carvings engraved on it. She gripped it and ran towards the obsidian serpent as it held down the hunter.

The serpents head reared back, slightly, preparing a headshot, but wailed in pain once it felt the base of its tail cut off. She threw the knife as it disintegrated and pulled the end of its tail toward her, jumping on to the obsidian serpents spine, yanking it back, and slitting its carapace open with its bladed end. She jumped off, kicking the serpent to the side and quickly dispatched the clothes layered in acid.

The obsidian body landed on its side with a dramatic thud, its limbs twitched before going still in a matter of moments.

She sighed, calming her nerves before resting on the wall, trying to control her breathing. How long has it been? She checked her watch. The flashing red numbers on it displayed the time. It had been twelve minutes.

Damn. The pyramid shifted. She looked down to find large armored, clawed feet. Her eyes widened as she repeated her mantra. _Collect yourself, stay calm, move forward._

She slowly, looked up at the masked hunter. A low trill rumbled through him and bounced off the walls and into her ears. She noticed his fists, clenching and unclenching. His head tilted and his chest puffed up and down rapidly.

He seemed... Indecisive.

Confused? Upset? Maybe both.

He lifted his hand and she nearly flinched. She stood her ground though, as he pulled out the tubes connecting to his mask in a slow and ominous pace as vapor poured out from it.

Again, at an agonizingly slow pace, he took off his mask, clicking and trilling in some unknown manner.

He roared boisterously, some of his saliva sprinkled her face as he did so. _Gross._

She quickly noted the physical feats of his face. Certainly not what she expected the hunter to look like but did not disappoint in its dangerous esque. Large forehead, small menacing eyes accentuated by the large depth surrounding them, sharp smaller teeth guarded by tusks, reptilian skin... She noted the marking a little late. "_Hunters would mark themselves with the blood of their kill."_

Yes, she remembered those words Sebastian had mentioned in the room that had informed them of the hunters' purpose for being here.

The hunter huffed begrudgingly, pleased by her bravery, placed his mask back on, and walked to the dead alien. He ripped a finger off it and walked back to her. He held out the end of the broken finger, showing her the acid green blood.

He was gonna mark her.

She turned her head and clenched her fists as the hunter marked her with his clan symbol. She was shaking a bit,wavering, but tried not to show pain in front of the hunter. He turned back again to retrieve and clean the serpents tail covered in acid. Once finished, he tied it on a slender rod that was strapped to his back and stood in front of her.

He held out the spear to her and she took it without a moments notice.

He bowed his head and tilted it in the direction he had initially came from. She nodded as if she understood and followed his lead.

This was all happening way too fast...

After a while he had to stop in a small circular room to mess with his wrist device. She did not bother listening to the growls, and other animalistic sounds on the other end.

Not like she could understand them anyway.

He roared again, obviously furious at whatever the guy at the other end of the signal had said.

She frowned, increasingly becoming irritated at his short temperament.

"Can you please keep it down." She whispered. He growled and stepped up towards her, roaring in her face again.

Now she was scowling. "You're going to attract more attention than you can chew. I suggest you calm your temper before I do it for you." Okay, so she was a bit in over her head at that last statement, but with all the noise he's making she might have nothing left too loose.

She heard a loud trilling on the other end that sounded suspiciously like a laugh before the body building alien closed the transmission.

He barked at her before walking off in the only open direction, gesturing for her to follow.

She sighed and did so. A teenage alien with a bad temperament.

She sighed. This was gonna be a long journey back.

He was enraged, however intrigued, by the ooman that saved his life. Even if she did not mean too, he owed her his life. He had never hated the Yautja honor code until this moment, but it's not like he can change it now.

He stopped in a circular room where he knew they would not get lost, and messed with the wrist computer to communicate with his fellow brother.

"What is it?" He questioned, a bit irritably.

He seems to be in a bad mood.

"You usually are not this rude, brother. What happened?"

He looked back at the ooman female that eyed the surrounding area. He had to admit that he admired how alert she has been so far. You can not repay a life debt if they are dead.

"The trials been compromised. Are you blooded, brother."

"Yes, and you?"

"Of course." He snorted at his brothers utter lack of humility. Not that he is in any place to judge.

"So, what do you mean the trials been compromised?"

"It seems they are becoming too much to handle. I believe they are planning to release the queen."

He roared, furious at the fact the trial has become a lost cause.

"PAUK!"

"I'm sorry brother, but we both have proven our worth enough. I suggest you head out of the pyramid, while I activate the bomb."

He turned to the ooman child bearer as she spoke. He understood some of what she had said, and was angry, yet impressed with her for threatening him. He made the right choice for blooding her.

Good. The last thing he needed was a weak spineless fool to be blooded, and by him as well.

He growled at her and led the way to the entrance with her following behind.


End file.
